The 1986 Challenger disaster capsule

The 1986 Challenger disaster involved the Space Shuttle Challenger exploding shortly after launch, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. The tragedy was caused by a failure in an O-ring seal on one of the solid rocket boosters, which allowed hot gases to escape and damage the external fuel tank. This led to the breakup of the shuttle in midair. The disaster highlighted flaws in engineering and decision-making processes, prompting systemic changes to improve safety protocols in spaceflight.